Types Of Night Vision Security Cameras

Security cameras with night vision are crucial for monitoring your property around the clock. Night vision technology allows you to capture usable images in low to no light conditions. This is extremely helpful as most burglars prefer to lurk around in the darkness.

Whether you are safeguarding your home or business, night vision security cameras are a great investment. Before you start shopping, review the different types of night vision to decide which will work best for your surveillance needs.

Low Light Night Vision
Low light night vision is also known as image intensification as it relies on image intensification technology to deliver colored night vision in very low light. Please note that in order to produce a color image, these security cameras need some available light.

Low light night vision cameras use an image intensifier which is a vacuum-tube based device. Electrons are emitted through a vacuum tube when the light strikes a charged photocathode plate. These electrons then strike the microchannel plate that cause the image screen to illuminate with a picture in the same pattern as the light that strikes the photocathode (on a frequency that the human eye can see). The image is said to be “intensified” because the output visible light is now brighter than the incoming light.

Benefits

• Despite needing some visible light in order to record, low light night vision cameras outperform IR night vision cameras.
• These are the only security cameras that can produce a color image in low light level conditions.
• You can find these cameras at cost-effective prices.

Infrared (IR) Night Vision
These days, most security cameras come with built-in infrared LEDs to provide night vision in low light or no light conditions. One of the most important features of these cameras is the infrared cut filter or infrared cut removable.

The IR cut filter is a mechanical shutter design – it is a piece placed between the lens and the image sensor, controlled by a motor or an electromagnet. These are used with color CCD or CMOS cameras to produce accurate color images.

When IR cut filter is activated, it will block IR light and allow only visible light to pass through. When the ICR is turned off, IR light will be allowed and images will turn into black and white mode.

If it’s controlled by a light sensor, at twilight, it simply sends a remove signal to the IR cut filter so that more light could reach the image sensor of the camera, thus, a black and white image is produced.

It is important to know that IR security cameras can be affected by glass reflection or window glare at night. Your video may be washed out due to overexposure of lights at night. If necessary, turn off the IP LEDs and any other LED indicators on your security camera.

Benefits

• Infrared night vision cameras can record in pitch black condition without additional light.
• These cameras are the most inexpensive, use less energy, and are very efficient.

Thermal Night Vision
Thermal night vision cameras have a unique lens that allows IR energy to pass through it. The focus light then hits a sensor that scans the information and draws from several thousand points in the field of view. This process creates a thermogram (an intricate temperature pattern) which quickly develops and then transforms into electric impulses, which are directed to signal processing unit that translates the information into data for the visual.

Created image displays as various colors that correlate to the amount of IR energy emitted. Instead of intensifying light, thermal night vision uses heat and can see no matter the light level. Thus, even in total darkness and poor weather conditions, thermal imaging technology allows users to detect and see at great distances.

Benefits

• Thermal cameras are the only solution to address a visible image contrast to see at night.
• As mentioned, these cameras are completely immune to smoke, dust, and anti-CCTV surveillance devices (visor glasses, infrared laser glasses).
• Government agencies, security companies, and large corporations rely on thermal security cameras for many security applications because they eliminate false alarms.

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